Wrist watch strap bar



July 27, 1948. Q sTARKE 2,446,065

WRIST WATCH STRAP BAR Filed Oct. 22, 1947 a Z Ki 5 6 z IN V EN TOR.

Patented July 27, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRIST WATCH STRAP BAR Otto A. Starke, Ludington, Mich.

Application October 22, 1947, Serial No. 781,373

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in attachment device for wrist strap watches and the like.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide means for connecting a wrist watch to a wrist strap which is very compact and simple in construction, efiicient and dependable in operation and which facilitates ready assembly of the parts.

Second, to provide a structure having these advantages which may be very economically produced and which facilitates the production of a very attractive appearance.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is pointed out and defined in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary plan view with parts in section on the line ll of Fig. 2 illustrating the watch casing, the Wrist strap and the means of connecting the watch casing to the strap.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation with parts in section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, illustrating the watch casing, the Wrist strap and the means for connecting the strap to the watch casing.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bar for connecting the wrist strap to the watch casing.

Fig. 4 is a view in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 illustrating a step in assembling the wrist strap retaining bar relative to the watch casing.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated numeral l designates a watch casing or frame and 2 designates a wrist strap detachably connectable to said casing. The watch frame or casing I is provided on the opposite sides thereof with housing-like members 3 adapted to receive therein the looped ends 4 of the strap 2. These housing members comprise downwardly inclined upper walls 5 and end walls or brackets 6 integral with each other and with the watch casing as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The end Walls or brackets 6 are provided with elongated rectangularly shaped openings 1 for detachably receiving the correspondingly shaped ends 8 of the strap bar 9 The strap bars 9 are reduced in size at the opposite ends thereof to provide shoulders I 0 which abuttingly engage the end walls 6 as shown in Fig. l to prevent longitudinal displacement of the bars relative to the end walls. The strap bars are disposed within the loops 4 at the opposite ends of the wrist strap. The strap may be adjusted as to size and detachably secured to the wrist of the wearer by the usual buckle, not shown, which is old and common in the art.

The strap bars 9 are flat and of one piece construction and are of spring steel or other spring metal to permit bending the same into the position shown in Fig. 4 in which position the reduced ends 8 of the bar are disposed between and in alinement with openings 1 of the end walls 6. Upon release of the bar, the bar resiliently straightens and the ends 8 thereof enter the openings 1 as shown in Fig. 1 and are securely retained therein, against accidental displacement by the resiliency of the bar.

The strap 9 being relatively thin and of substantial width is resiliently bendable only in a direction at right angles to the general plane of the bar. The bar is retainingly disposed between the end walls or brackets 6 in such position that the plane thereof is parallel to the direction of the pull of the strap on the bar, that is the pull of the strap on the bar is edgewise of the bar. The elongated rectangular ends 8 of the bar being fittingly received within the correspondingly shaped openings 1 of the walls securely retains the bar against rotation relative to said end Walls.

The means including the one piece strap .bar above described for connecting the wrist strap to the wrist watch in addition to having the advantages above described is very compact and may be readily housed in very small space by integral extensions of the watch casing or frame, thereby facilitating a very neat and attractive appearance to the device as a whole.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments or adaptations thereof as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a watch casing having housing members integral with and on opposite sides of the casing, said housing members each including an upper wall and opposite end walls, said end walls having aligned elongated rectangularly shaped openings therein, a wrist strap bar for receiving thereon an end loop of wrist strap and having at the opposite ends thereof reduced end portions correspondingly shaped in cross section to said end wall openings and fittingly received therein to prevent rotation of the bar in said openings, said bar being of greater length than the distance between said end wall openings and being of spring material and relatively thin as compared to its Width to permit flexing thereof and insertion of the reduced end portions thereof in said end wall openings, said reduced end portions providing shoulders adjacent the opposite ends of the bar to engage the end walls and prevent endwise displacement of the bar from the end wall openings, said bar being retainingly disposed relative to the housing member so that the pull of a wrist strap disposed on the wrist of a wearer is edgewise of said bar.

2. In a device of the class described, a watch casing having housing members integral with and on opposite sides of the casing, said housing members each including opposite end walls, said end walls having aligned elongated openings therein, a wrist strap bar for receiving thereon an end loop of a wrist strap and having at the opposite ends thereof reduced end portions correspondingly shaped in cross section to said end wall openings and fittingly received therein to prevent rotation of the bar in said openings, said bar being of greater length than the distance between said end wall openings and bein of spring material and relatively thin as compared to its width; to permit flexing thereof and insertion of the reduced end portions thereof in said end wall openings, said reduced end portions providingshoulders adjacent the opposite ends of the bar to engage the end walls and prevent endwise displacement of the bar from the end wall openings, said bar being retainingly disposed relative to the housing member so that the pull of a wrist strap disposed on the wrist of a wearer is edgewise of said bar.

3. In a device of the class described a casing, a pair of spaced brackets on .a side thereof, said brackets having aligned elongated rectangularly shaped openings, a wrist strap bar for receiving thereon an end loop of a wrist strap and having at the opposite ends thereof reduced end portions correspondingly shaped in cross section to said bracket openings and fittingly received therein to prevent rotation of. the .bar in said openings, said bar being of greater length than the distance .between said bracket openings andbeing of spring material and relatively thin as compared to its width to permit bending thereof and insertion of the reduced end portions thereofin the bracket openings, said reduced end portions providing shoulders adjacent the opposite ends of the bar to engage the bracketsand prevent endwise displacement of the bar from the bracket openings, saidbar being retainingly disposed relative to the brackets so that the pull of a wrist strap disposed onthe wrist of a wearer is edgewise of the bar.

4. In a device of the class described a casing,

4 a pair of spaced brackets on a side thereof, said brackets havin aligned elongated openings, a wrist strap bar for receiving thereon an end loop of a wrist strap and having at the opposite ends thereof reduced end portions correspondingly shaped in cross section to said bracket openings and fittingly received therein to prevent rotation of the bar in said openings, said bar being of greater length than the distance between said bracket openings and being of spring material and relatively thin as compared to its width to permit bending thereof and insertion of the reduced end portions thereof in the bracket op nings, said reduced end portions providing sh ulders adjacent the opposite ends of the bar to ngage the brackets and prevent endwise displ cementof the bar from the bracket openings, said bar being retainingly disposed relative to the brackets so that the pull of a wrist strap disposed on the wrist of a wearer is edgewise of the bar.

5. In a device of the class described, a frame, spaced brackets on said frame, said brackets having openings therein, a wrist strap bar for connection to a wrist strap, and having at the opposite ends thereof reduced end portions disposed within said bracket openings, said bar being substantially straight between the ends thereof and being of a length greater than the distance between said openings and being of spring material to permit flexing thereof and insertion of the reduced end portions. thereof within the bracket openings, said reduced end portions providing shoulders adjacent the ends of the bar to engage the brackets and prevent endwise displacement of the bar from the bracket openings.

6. In a device of the class described, a frame, spaced members on the frame, a wrist strap bar for connection to a wrist strap, said spaced mem bers including means for retainingly connecting the ends ofsaid bar thereto and for preventing rotation of said bar relative thereto, said bar being of a length greater than the distance between said spaced members, and being of spring material and being in cross section relatively thin as compared to its width to permit bending thereof and insertion thereof between said spaced members and in retaining engagement with said retaining means, said retaining means retaining the bar in such position relative to the. spaced members that the pull of a Wrist strap disposed on the wrist of the wearer. is edgewise of the bar.

o'r'ro A. STARKE.

REFERENCES CITED The-followingreferences are oi record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

